Hidden Gems: Meet Katherine Hayes of Dreambox Jewelry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Hayes.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
Ever since I can remember, I have always been drawn to jewelry and the different moods it can create when wearing a special piece. My mother’s jewelry box is among one my favorite childhood memories. My father was a big thriftier and loved estate sales.

He would bring home the most beautiful vintage pieces for her and that’s where I found my love for all things that sparkle. The first jewelry studio I ever laid eyes on was while I was babysitting for a neighbor. This was an in-home workspace before sites like Etsy and social media were at the forefront of everything for makers. Seeing this beautiful little studio showed me that I could do this. That’s when I knew I wanted jewelry to be part of my life in this way.

Dreambox started in 2019, but my journey with making jewelry began about a decade earlier. I was self-taught, made pieces for myself, and my friends, and did a few popups around town. I ended up working for a jewelry designer here in town, where I was able to fine-tune small details in my craft before I started to venture out on my own.

During the pandemic, I created my site, and starting releasing my first pieces. That pause in life we all experienced really gave me the time to map everything out, test materials and designs through friends and family. The people I’ve met along the way through my work have become foundational for Dreambox: through the way they respond to my work, and the feedback I’ve received from them. They really mean a lot to me.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Sourcing was a big challenge for me starting out. I wanted to produce ethically made pieces that would last a lifetime. Hours of researching different suppliers, lots of ordering and testing materials for what they claim to be was daunting. But again, it was my close-knit community and their feedback that helped move this process along. All of my pieces are ethically made, will not tarnish, and are made to last. This is something I’m really proud of.

Exposure was another obstacle, and still is a tricky thing to navigate. These days with social media, it’s mostly about who your work lands on. My advice to anyone starting out is don’t get discouraged, if you’re authentically living out your purpose, and believe in what you’re doing, people will be drawn to that. There’s nothing like it.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Dreambox is a jewelry brand based in Nashville, Tennessee, and each piece is made out of my home studio with my own two hands. I design my pieces to go above trends and seasons and use materials that will last through all of the fast fashion trends and seasons.

What do you think about luck?
I think luck plays an important part in success, whether unlucky or lucky- having breakthrough moments of luck can be really energizing and encouraging, and having that can feed into your work. Having unlucky moments can leave you feeling like you’re working tirelessly with no results, it can make you forget all the successful moments you’ve had on the journey. I experienced an early moment of luck when I reached out to a local blogger (Elsie Larson) asking her if I could send her pieces, and hoping to build exposure for my new venture.

I had reached out to multiple bloggers at this point, with most having never even opened my messages. Luckily, Elsie not only responded, but she chose to buy pieces from me, shared these with her audience, and gave me a write-up on her blog. Rather than receive a gift, as most influencers do, while we, on the other side hope that the work is shared, she chose to highlight my brand, which really uplifted my spirit, and gave me more joy, motivation, and perseverance to put into my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dreamboxjewelry.com
• Instagram: @dreamboxjewelry

Image Credits
Jess Williams Photos